Dwelling in God’s word: a study on idolatry

To appreciate the medicine, we need to recognise the disease. To truly rejoice in our Saviour, we need to see the sin from which he sets us free. 

So, allow me to take you on a journey of spiritual diagnosis. In particular, let me bring you God’s word to expose the idolatry that lies at the heart of our sin. That is, let God himself reveal the things we have enthroned in his place, by fearing, loving and trusting them more than him. This may be painful. The sinful nature that lurks within us all is proud. It does not want to admit that its desires are evil.

Yet, through Christ, we are free to face the truth about ourselves, since he has removed the guilt, shame and condemnation of our sin. Such spiritual honesty then gives us the opportunity to refocus on Christ, who alone brings lasting freedom, joy and life to the full.

Read Mark 12:30.

Reflect on how you use your time, energy and money.

How much do you dedicate to prayer, to worship, and to hearing God’s word? How much do you devote to the mission of the gospel or to serving those around you? And how much do you use to serve yourself and your desires? What does this reveal about what is uppermost in your heart?

Do you joyfully pray, ‘Thy will be done’? Or are you thinking deep down, ‘Let my will be done’, so that you then judge God based on how well he fulfils your desires? Who is it then that you truly love?

Read Matthew 10:24–33.

Are you prone to anxiety concerning earthly things?

Do you worry about what other people think about you?

Do you fret about success and failure, sickness and death?

What does this reveal about what is truly important to you? Who or what do you rely on to help you deal with these fears?

Read Jeremiah 17:5–8.

When you are in need, is your first inclination to pray?

Or is prayer a last resort when human sources of help have been exhausted?

How much time do you spend reflecting on God’s word, in comparison with human sources of guidance? Which do you prioritise when the two conflict?

On the other hand, how much effort do you put into making excuses, pointing the finger, passing the buck and justifying yourself and your behaviour? When you do this, who are you treating as your Saviour?

How prepared are you to confess your hidden sins before others, and to give glory to Christ as the only one who makes you worthy to hold your head up high?

Read Psalm 146.

This psalm reminds us that when we place our confidence in human and earthly things, they always let us down in the end. How has this worked out in your experience?

The same is not true when we set our hearts on the Lord our God.

If God made the heavens and the earth, what is he able to do for you? If God created every good thing, who alone can furnish you with joy?

If the Lord knows all things, and opens the eyes of the blind, what is the result when you trust him to lead?

If the Lord Jesus Christ sets the prisoners free, who is the one who must deal with the power, guilt, shame and condemnation of your sin? What has he already done to give you victory?

Rev Dr Michael Lockwood serves as a theological educator for LCA International Mission and has recently been called to teach in Taiwan. He is the author of The Unholy Trinity: Martin Luther Against the Idol of Me, Myself, and I.